OIC Council of Foreign Ministers condemn opening of U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem

The
outcome of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 45th Council of
Foreign Ministers Summit held in the Republic of Turkey where the organisation
strongly rejected and condemned the decision of the U.S. government to open its
embassy in Jerusalem, according to The Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad (MoFA).

Below
is full text of the release:

The
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly rejects and condemns in the
strongest terms this illegal decision by the US Administration as an attack on
the historical, legal, natural and

national
rights of the Palestinian people, which undermines the standing of the United
Nations and rule of international law and thus represents an affront to
international peace and security as expressed at the Extraordinary OIC Islamic
Summit held in Istanbul on 13th December 2017, and also by the international
community at the UN General Assembly held on 21st December 2017.

The
OIC views such deplorable action by the US Administration as a clear violation
of all existing international laws pertaining to the status of Al Quds Al
Sharif and Palestine, in particular the United

The
OIC determines that the US Administration has contradicted its own commitments
and expressed utter disdain and disrespect to Palestinian legitimate rights,
and international law and has made very clear that it has no regard for the
rights and religious sentiments of the Muslim Ummah and concludes that the
current US Administration has invalidated

its
role as a broker in any future peace efforts in Palestine.

The
specific status if Al Quds Al Sharif is central to the OIC, to the Muslim
Ummah, and to other religions, which therefore requires the protection and
preservation of its unique spiritual, religious and

cultural
dimensions, as foreseen in relevant UN Resolutions. Hence, the final status of
Al Quds Al Sharif should and must be resolved through negotiations in line with
relevant UN Resolutions.

The
OIC determines that it will continue its efforts to defend the two - state
solution and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and
statehood by creating positive and irreversible

political
and legal realities, and lead efforts to formulate a multilateral and credible
approach to end the conflict on the basis of international law and relevant
United Nations Resolutions.

The
OIC decides to pursue all available legal, political, and legislative avenues
at the national and international levels to confront and stop the Israeli colonial
settlement regime in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem and adopt actions to ensure that companies and other actors that
choose to benefit from the Israeli colonial regime are deprived of the
opportunity of accessing OIC markets.

The
OIC calls upon all states to continue to fully implement UNSC Res.476 and 478
of 1980 and in this regard urges all states to refrain from supporting the US
decision to recognise Jerusalem as the so-called capital of Israel and not to
relocate their diplomatic

missions
to Al Quds Al-Sharif and stresses that it shall apply political and economic
restrictions to countries, officials, parliaments, companies, or individuals
who recognise the annexation of Al Quds by Israel, the occupying power, or deal
with any measures related to consecration of Israeli colonisation of occupied
Palestinian territory.

The
OIC attaches great importance to a just and comprehensive peace based on the
two-state solution with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of the State of Palestine,
consistent with the internationally recognised terms of reference and the 2002
Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Extraordinary Islamic Summit in Makkah
Al-Mukarramah in 2005, OIC Extraordinary Summit in Jakarta in 2016 as well as
the OIC Extraordinary Summit held in Istanbul on 13th December 2017 and the UN
General Assembly Resolution No. 10/19 dated 21st December 2017.

The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad
(MoFA), would like to assure the general public that as The Gambia assumes
Chairmanship of the OIC in 2019, the Government of the Republic of The Gambia
ensure full and regular communication with the public on any salient matter
affecting or relating to the principles upon which the OIC has been built to
promote international peace, security and solidarity.

Issued
by: Communication Unit of the

Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad (MoFA)